Agricultural chemicals are problematic to people and the environment in that they produce harmful effects on people and the debris left behind can be harmful to the environment. Many of these chemicals are extremely toxic in their concentrated liquid form and to the extent these chemicals produce fumes, these fumes can also be dangerous if inhaled or if any contact is made by the worker with these toxins such as on its skin, in their eyes or other exposed areas of their body.
Typically, in an agricultural setting, the agricultural worker is provided a truck mounted tank with a hose for adding liquid, a tank sprayer for dispersing the liquid and a quantity of chemicals to be added to the tank. These tanks can vary from a few gallons to several hundred. Often, the chemicals are added directly from a chemical container, and these chemicals can be powder or liquid and may spill or splatter out of the chemical container onto or into the tank or the chemical container. In many cases, the chemicals must be diluted for use with the tank which can vary in size. Thus, depending on the size of the tank, a varying amount of chemicals may be required. If the worker uses excessive chemicals, the crop or livestock may be damaged or destroyed. Too little, may result in an ineffective treatment of the crops or livestock, which also may result in damage or destruction to the crops or livestock. With most conventional systems, the loading and mixing of the chemicals is performed manually by the worker using open top containers and must be done each time the chemical is applied and in some cases, may need to be done repeatedly during the application process. These chemicals are dangerous. Even if the worker is extremely carful, follows all of the prescribed safety precautions and wears the necessary protective clothing, the hazards involved in measuring and transferring the chemicals to the tank is unfortunately too common. Many workers spill, inhale or otherwise become injured from using these harmful chemicals.
One concern is the safety of the workers who handle the container after it is exposed to the caustic chemicals and the environmental concerns associated with storing and disposing of the chemical containers when not in use and to prevent contamination to children, animals and land. Another concern is the lack of accuracy in dispensing the chemicals which may lead to damage of crops and increased cost associated with excess chemicals being dispensed. It thus would be desirable to provide an accurate tank chemical measuring device which saves both time and money.
In treating the fields and crops, the applicable chemicals are sold in a concentrated or condensed form and must be diluted to a specific ratio. Thus to ensure proper application, the worker is required to measure a specific quantify of the product prior to adding it to the tank for spraying in order to ensure a proper mix. However, many chemicals do not come with a measuring device or if they do, it may be unsatisfactory for a number or reasons including that the device may have become damaged or lost. If a measuring cup is available, it may be unreliable, inaccurate, dirty or damaged from rolling around in the back of a truck. Some chemicals containers have graduations or indicia on the edges; however, these too are often unreadable or unreliable. Often times, the worker must guess as to the correct quantity of the chemical to be added to the tank. In some cases, the user has a measuring cup which they can use, but the measuring cup more often than not is lost, dirty or unusable. In other cases, a measuring cup is not provided or is provided in such a way that it is inconvenient to carry in the back of the truck without becoming lost, dirty or unusable. Without a useable, accurate measuring cup, proper dilution or usage of the chemical is difficult if not impossible.
Another problem is the ability to connect a hose to the tank after or during the addition of the chemical additive. Filing the tank with a common garden hose may cause the hose to become contaminated by the chemical additive potentially causing harm to later users such as children or pets who may drink or come into contact with the contaminated hose. Another problem is that it is inconvenient to hold the hose in position while filling a tank, which may take several minutes. It therefore would be beneficial to provide a hose restrictor which conveniently maintains the position of the hose during the filling process while avoiding unnecessary chemical contamination. Therefore, a need exists for a convenient, portable measuring cup for use with agricultural chemicals for help in measuring the proper amount of chemicals for dilution within the tank.